Evolving Port

Port Melbourne and Fishermans Bend continue to change. Houses are changed or demolished and new forms of housing take their place. Port Houses records some of these changes.

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

378 - 382 Bay St, Port Melbourne

I have always been intrigued by this handsome threesome of houses at the northern end of Bay St, constructed in 1900. The tree obscures some of the details described in the citation below.

'The allotment was purchased from the Crown by T Fordham. By February 1900 the land was owned by James McLaughlan, of Howe Crescent, South Melbourne. During that year he erected three 8 room brick houses.

'A rare example in Port Melbourne of a grand terrace of three houses, it is of unusually late date for the style. The terrace demonstrates the original mixed residential and commercial character of Bay Street. The terrace is notable for its elaborate parapet design and cast iron balcony decoration. These three two storey terrace houses were constructed in polychromatic brickwork, now painted. They are relatively wide and have cast iron balconies and verandahs. The central house is more elaborate than its flanking neighbour, having a triangular pedimented parapet and more complex cast iron decoration. In addition, the central house has tripartitite windows, arched to the ground floor, rather than the paired windows found on the other three houses. The cornice detailing on the two outer houses differ from that on the central house. The south house has a rectangular pediment which differs from the possbily altered pediment on the north house. The original decorative urns have been removed.' Source: City of Port Phillip Heritage Review Database No: 256

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About Port Houses

Port Melbourne has a great diversity of housing from different periods. Port Houses takes an interest in dwellings of all kinds as well as debates about planning in Port Melbourne and environs.

Port Houses attempts to record every house demolished in Port Melbourne and what replaces it. Port Houses also records the vegetation present on a site before demolition, and what replaces it.

More recently, Janet has been documenting development sites in Fishermans Bend and Montague.

Janet was appointed to the Fishermans Bend Development Board in 2018. She is an active member of the Port Melbourne Historical and Preservation Society.

She has a Masters in planning from RMIT, a background in history studies and a period from 2004 to 2012 as Sandridge Ward Councillor on the Port Phillip Council. She was Mayor of the City of Port Phillip in 2006 and 2007.

Contact Port Houses

If you have photos or information that would add depth and interest to Port Houses, please contact me at janet.bolitho AT gmail.com